Improving Your Business

Improving Your Business

How To Maintain Your Building's Flat Roof

by Leslie Turner

When you picture how a roof looks, you may envision a gable or A-frame style roof where it really shows off the roofing material. However, your building may have a flat roof instead. While this may not be what you have had with previous buildings you've owned, it is important to know how a flat roof is different when it comes to the required maintenance.

Remove The Snow

One thing to keep in mind with a flat roof is that it is going to collect a lot of snow during the winter. There is no slope for the snow to naturally slide off the surface, which can cause quite a bit of it to collect when there is a very heavy snow storm. If you only get a couple inches of snow, the accumulation should be nothing to worry about. However, a big snow storm will require that someone goes on the roof and clears off the snow. You do not want the snow to put too much weight on a roof, which can cause damage if it is not prepared to handle that much snow.

Inspect For Loose Fasteners

Some flat roofs use a fastener system to secure the roofing material to the surface. Be aware that these fasteners can become loose over time, which will require that they are tightened to secure them back to the surface. The fasteners can become loose when the area is saturated with water, so it is best to have the fasteners looked at during a roof inspection.

Inspect For Blistering

Another problem that can happen to your flat roof is blistering. This occurs when there is air trapped beneath the surface that causes the felt layers to separate. The raised area will look a bit spongy and raised slightly off the surface. You can easily identify blistering by pressing down on the area to see how it feels. You should never be able to push into the surface of the roof and have the material move.

Inspect For Splitting

You also need to be aware of how your roofing material can split. This will happen from a long crack that forms in the roofing material, which allows water to get into it and freeze. Cracked material will need to be replaced so that it forms a watertight seal on the surface of the roof once again.

Contact a commercial roofing contractor for assistance with fixing roof damage that you find.


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Improving Your Business

When there are things about your business building that are damaged, you can expect it to cause problems in the long run. From issues with getting top dollar for your property to dealing with incoming leaks and other issues, it pays to know how to make changes now that could improve your future. However, roofing issues can be hard to spot, which is why it really pays to do what you can to make steps towards fixing things. On this website, you can find excellent information about how roofing can be beneficial to your company, and what to look for when problems arise.